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Solar Wind Bridge of the Future

Solar Wind bridgeSolar Wind bridgeSolar Wind bridgeSolar Wind bridge
The evolution of alternative means of propulsion for cars has opened the doors, in the past few years, to all types of visions of the future of transportation. And when we say future of transportation we are not necessarily talking about the cars themselves.

A few months ago, we gave you a preview of the solar highways, the out of this world idea of Solar Roadways (complete details about the concept here). Now, it's time to have a look at how somebody envisions the bridge of the future.

Called Solar Wind, the bridge tries to make full advantage of one of the defining traits of bridges: the exposure to the elements. Since these types of constructions are always bombarded by the sun and wind, thanks to their positioning over deep valleys, rivers or even seas, solar and wind power should be found here in abundance.

The surface of the bridge uses the technology envisioned for the Solar Highways, meaning the surface is coated in solar panels. The 20 km (12.4 miles) road power plant is capable of developing 11.2 million kWh per year.

Beneath the road surface, the bridge itself has been designed as a giant wind turbine. 26 small turbines have been integrated into the design of the bridge, being capable of generating 36 million kWh per year

Created by Italian designers Francesco Colarossi, Giovanna Saracino and Luisa Saracino, the Solar Wind bridge was part of the Solar Park Works – Solar Highway design competition. The design managed to win the second place in the competition.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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